1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to paper feeding apparatus and paper discharging apparatus and, more particularly, to control of paper feeding apparatus and paper discharging apparatus connected to recording apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
In a print system such as a recording system, a copying machine, or the like, where a plurality of paper feeding devices or paper discharging devices were connected to the main body of a recording device, the main body of the recording device communicated with each of the paper feeding devices or paper discharging devices through communication means constructed in the multidrop system or the daisy chain system, to control each of the paper feeding devices or paper discharging devices.
As a result, the main body of the recording device had to perform more complicated control with increase in the number of paper feeding devices or paper discharging devices connected, which resulted in lengthening development periods of control firmware and degrading reliability of the system.
In order to clarify electrical interfaces and physical device locations, a specific ID needed to be assigned to each paper feeding device or paper discharging device and this process was entrusted to an operator. In addition, the operator was also entrusted with a process of uniquely fixing a connection order of the electrical interfaces of the paper feeding devices or paper discharging devices. These processes bothered the operator and there were possibilities that the operator set an incorrect ID or connected interface cables in an incorrect connection order. These errors could pose the problem of causing such trouble that the main body of the recording device failed to adequately control the paper feeding devices or paper discharging devices in the system.
An object of the present invention is to provide paper feeding apparatus and paper discharging apparatus in print systems such as recording apparatus, copying machines, etc. while solving the above problem.
In order to accomplish the above object, a paper feeding apparatus according to the present invention is a paper feeding apparatus used in electrical cascade connection of plural paper feeding devices with an external device, and comprising a first communication means for communication between an electrically downstream paper feeding device and the apparatus itself and a second communication means for communication between an electrically upstream paper feeding device and the apparatus itself, said apparatus comprising:
a means for acquiring device information of said downstream device through said first communication means;
a first control means for controlling the upstream device by converting said acquired device information concerning the downstream device and device information of the apparatus itself together into device information as a single device, and transmitting to said upstream device by means of said second communication means; and
a means for analyzing control information from said upstream device and transmitting control information through the apparatus itself to said downstream device, which is second control means for controlling the apparatus itself, based on information concerning the apparatus itself out of said control information, and transmitting information concerning said downstream device through said first communication means to said downstream device according to said control information.
Preferably, said second control means comprises separating means for separating said information concerning said downstream device from said control information.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises means for automatically effecting electrical connection with the upstream device and downstream device when physically connected to said upstream device and downstream device, and a sheet conveyance path from said upstream device to said downstream device is uniquely determined by said physical connection.
Preferably, the apparatus comprises a means for effecting physical connection with said upstream device and downstream device and a means for effecting electrical connection with said upstream device and downstream device independently of each other, and each paper feeding device comprises an independent sheet conveyance path to said external device.
Preferably, said device information of said downstream device includes at least the number of trays thereof and tray information concerning said trays, and said converted information to be transmitted to said upstream device includes at least the number of trays resulting from addition of the number of trays of the apparatus itself to said number of trays, and tray information concerning the trays of said downstream device and the apparatus itself.
Preferably, said tray information includes at least one of information about a loadable sheet size, information about a conveyance path, a capacity of loadable sheets, a current sheet load situation, and a type of sheets loaded at present.
Preferably, said tray information includes conveyance path information and said conveyance path information includes information to identify a continuous conveyance path or an independent conveyance path.
Preferably, said tray information includes a sheet delay jam detecting time; when the apparatus itself has a sheet conveyance path continuous to said downstream device, said first control means transmits to said upstream device a value resulting from addition of said sheet delay jam detecting time of the apparatus itself to said sheet delay jam detecting time transmitted from said downstream device; when the apparatus itself has no sheet conveyance path continuous to said downstream device, said first control means transmits to said upstream device said sheet delay jam detecting time transmitted from said downstream device.
Preferably, said control information from said upstream device includes tray position information of a tray as a controlled object; when said tray position information is judged as tray position information of said downstream device, said second control means converts said tray position information into tray position information resulting from subtraction of the number of trays of the apparatus itself from said tray position information and transmits the resultant tray position information to said downstream device.
Preferably, said external device is a recording device for recording an image on the sheet.
A paper discharging apparatus according to the present invention is a paper discharging apparatus used in electrical cascade connection of plural paper discharging devices with an external device, and comprising a first communication means for communication between an electrically downstream paper discharging device and the apparatus itself and a second communication means for communication between an electrically upstream paper discharging device and the apparatus itself, said apparatus comprising: a means for acquiring device information of said downstream device through said first communication means; a first control means for controlling the upstream device by converting said acquired device information concerning the downstream device and device information of the apparatus itself together into device information as a single device, to said upstream device through said second communication means to control the upstream device; and a means for analyzing control information from said upstream device and transmitting control information through the apparatus itself to said downstream device, which is second control means for controlling the apparatus itself, based on information concerning the apparatus itself out of said control information, and transmitting information concerning said downstream device through said first communication means to said downstream device according to said control information.
Preferably, said second control means comprises separating means for separating said information concerning said downstream device from said control information.
Preferably, the apparatus comprises a means for automatically effecting electrical connection with the upstream device and downstream device when physically connected to said upstream device and downstream device, and a sheet conveyance path from said upstream device to said downstream device is uniquely determined by said physical connection.
Preferably, the apparatus comprises a means for effecting physical connection with said upstream device and downstream device and means for effecting electrical connection with said upstream device and downstream device independently of each other, and each paper discharging device comprises an independent sheet conveyance path to said external device.
Preferably, said device information of said downstream device includes at least the number of trays thereof and tray information concerning said trays, and said converted information to be transmitted to said upstream device includes at least the number of trays resulting from addition of the number of trays of the apparatus itself to said number of trays, and tray information concerning the trays of said downstream device and the apparatus itself.
Preferably, said tray information includes conveyance path information and said conveyance path information includes information to identify a continuous conveyance path or an independent conveyance path.
Preferably, said tray information includes at least one of conveyance path information, a capacity of loadable sheets, and a current sheet load situation.
Preferably, said tray information includes a discharge completion time of a sheet; when the apparatus itself has a sheet conveyance path continuous to said downstream device, said first control means transmits to said upstream device a value resulting from addition of a discharge completion time of the apparatus itself to said discharge completion time transmitted from said downstream device; when said apparatus itself has no sheet conveyance path continuous to said downstream device, said first control means transmits to said upstream device said discharge completion time transmitted from said downstream device.
Preferably, said control information from said upstream device includes tray position information of a tray as a controlled object; when said tray position information is judged as tray position information of said downstream device, said second control means converts said tray position information into tray position information resulting from subtraction of the number of trays of the apparatus itself from said tray position information and transmits the resultant tray position information to said downstream device.
Preferably, said device information transmitted from said downstream device includes function information of said downstream device.
Preferably, said function information includes information about at least some of normal stacking, job offset, staple, punch, folding, saddle stitch, and gluing.
Preferably, the control information transmitted from said upstream device includes function designating information of a tray as a controlled object.
Preferably, said external device is a recording device for recording an image on the sheet.
In the present invention embracing the above configurations, the apparatus is provided with the communication means of two lines between the apparatus itself and the upstream device and between the apparatus itself and the downstream device; the apparatus transmits to the downstream paper feeding device the device information resulting from addition of the device information of the apparatus itself to the information of the upstream device sent, for example, from the upstream paper feeding device; the apparatus analyzes the control information sent from the downstream paper feeding device; if the control information is one concerning the apparatus itself, the apparatus controls itself, based on the control information; if the control information is information concerning an upstream paper feeding device, the apparatus separates the information and sends it to the upstream paper feeding device; whereby the external device such as the recording device body or the like can perform the control as if a single paper feeding device is connected thereto even with plural paper feeding devices connected.
According to the present invention, the information transmission with the upstream device and the downstream device is permitted through the communication means of two lines between the apparatus itself and the upstream device and between the apparatus itself and the downstream device, and the external device such as the recording device body or the like can control a plurality of devices as if it controls a single paper feeding device or a single paper discharging device, which can decrease the control load on the external device such as the recording device body or the like. Accordingly, the control firmware with high reliability can be created within a short period, without failure in appropriate control due to an error of the operator. Further, since there is no limit to the number of paper feeding devices or paper discharging devices connected, a print system with high expandability can be constructed.